This invention relates to a device for holding a bag such that a mouth of the bag is held open for receiving material to be placed in the bag, and particularly but not exclusively to a device for holding or supporting a garbage bag in such a manner that the mouth of the bag is held open so that garbage or the like can be swept in or dropped in.
There are very many occasions in which it is required to sweep materials into a garbage bag either in household use or in garden use. The materials may be garbage on the floor of the house for example from a spill or from reconstruction or redecorating work or may, in the garden, be leaves, clippings or the like.
Devices have been proposed for attachment to the mouth of a garbage bag for holding the garbage bag open so that a sweeping movement can be made over one edge of the garbage bag to collect material directly into the garbage bag. However, these devices have not been entirely satisfactory and particularly the method of connection of the garbage bag to the device has been very limited in that the device can merely slip away from the bag if the device is lifted while the weight of the material is supported in the garbage bag. In addition, it is often required to hold open the mouth of the bag while the bag is supported in a manner which allows it to be carried around or stored in a suitable location. Devices are provided which comprise a ring around which the edge of the bag is wrapped and then secured in place either by an elastic cord or a rigid ring so as to clamp the bag edge around an outer surface of the inner ring. However, these are difficult to operate, ineffective and are not suitable for sweeping material into the bag and thus are generally limited to stationary use.